 Ladies and gentlemen, five years ago tonight a number of you were with us and attend on the Mall near the Capitol when we celebrated the launching of USA Today. With us then was the nation's leader. We're delighted, as I'm sure you are, that both he and we have survived the last five years. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. Thank you very much. My goodness, there's nothing like an open fire on a cold floor. Well, I thank you all and I appreciate this opportunity to join in celebrating USA Today's fifth birthday. When you get my age, it always feels good to be celebrating someone else's birthday. So right off the bat, let me say to Al Newhart and John Curly, Kathy Black, and all of you who've played a role in this exciting endeavor, congratulations, and many happy returns. All of this brings to mind the story. Something always brings to my mind the story. Maybe you being in the business have heard it already, but it has to do with the young Cub reporter whose first assignment was to go out to the senior citizen's home, the man there, the oldest man in the community, celebrating his 95th birthday. And he came in and, of course, the first question was, I'm from the paper and all, to interview you and then said, to what do you attribute your age, your longevity? And he said, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't run around with wild women. And just then there was a terrible crashing noise upstairs. And the kid said, what's that? And the old man said, oh, that's my father, he's drunk again. Now, I don't know if any of you have been assigned to interview the oldest man in town, but I do know that USA Today is offering the American people a vibrant new alternative. Your innovative journalism and use of high technology has literally altered the face of the newspaper business. It's no mere coincidence that since your paper hit the streets, changes have taken place throughout the industry. More color photographs, exclusive use of graphics and better sports coverage can be found now in papers all across America. I even understand the Pulitzer board may change its award criteria because of USA Today and recognize the most creative news paragraph. The success of USA Today and industry-wide improvement should be no surprise to those of us who believe in free enterprise. Competition keeps the quality up and the price down. And as we're well aware, USA Today is not just competing with one newspaper, it's up against papers in every major city in the country. It took great entrepreneurial courage for the leadership of Gannett Newspapers to take on this challenge. Of course, it's not been all peaches and cream. There was that morning in October 1982 when an airliner cruised by just outside an editorial meeting. And what was really frightening was that those in the meeting were able to see through the windows of the plane as it went by and the passengers were reading the Washington Times. Seriously, starting a new business of any time takes a special breed of people. You can all be proud of what you've accomplished. Your success is truly a turning point in the news business. You're leading a whole industry into the 21st century. And again, thanks for letting me join your celebration. God bless you and I'll be waiting for your paper in the morning. Mr. President, as a memento of your having us being with us tonight for this celebration, we want to present you a specially inscribed copy of Volume 1, Number 1 of USA Today of five years ago to remind you of how much things have changed on page two of this copy. You and Nancy Reagan were dancing with President Marcus and Melded, the White House. We hope you will keep this and I want to read the inscription on it. It says, to President Reagan, who created a national environment that made the nation's newspaper possible. We thank you for your leadership and for your friendship. Thank you very much. I wasn't actually dancing with the President of Mexico. But the next time around, I guess I can. Thank you all very much.